Birthday Girl
by hydref05
Summary: The Doctor takes Rose home for her birthday. Tenth Doctor, Rose, Mickey, Jackie


**Birthday Girl** - by Sian

**Synopsis**: It's Rose's birthday so Mickey, Jackie and the Doctor throw her a party.  
**Characters**: The Doctor (Ten), Rose, Mickey, Jackie  
**Episode/Spoilers**: Anything up to new series 2, Girl In The Fireplace  
**Rating**: PG

* * *

Mickey entered the console room and found the Doctor sitting by the time rotor, running diagnostic programs and shaking his head. "We're going to have to stop and give you a rest and some t.l.c. soon aren't we, old girl," Mickey heard him say. He grinned, and to think Rose laughed at him for talking to his Beetle. 

The Doctor sensed Mickey was standing behind him. Well actually he saw Mickey's reflection in the monitor, but sight was a sense, so... "Mickey!" The Doctor declared. "Just checking the systems are all running smoothly."

"And are they?"

"They are. Well about 80, give or take 20. Well, actually take 20."

Mickey frowned, "And is that okay, only 60 of the systems working?"

"Can't remember the last time everything worked. You know, I'm not sure it ever has, not while I've had her anyway. She's old."

"Or maybe you're just not a very good mechanic," Mickey joked.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows at the comment, and then grinned at Mickey's worried expression. "So what can I do for you, Mickey Smith?"

"It's Rose's birthday tomorrow, at least it would be if we were still on Earth, in our time, but we're not, so maybe it isn't."

"Is it? She never said. We should do something."

"Yeah, I thought maybe throw her a party."

"A party?" The Doctor sounded doubtful. "Just the three of us? Where I come from that's really not a party."

"I suppose not. We could go somewhere special. You must know some cool places we could take her."

"We'll take her home for the day. I'll phone Jackie."

"What you going to buy her?"

"Jackie?" The Doctor sounded confused.

"Rose, as a present for her birthday? I got her something a few weeks ago."

"A present? Ahh, forgot you did that. Nine hundred years with humans and I still haven't got all your little customs."

"You don't buy birthday presents where you're from?"

"We don't celebrate birthdays."

"So how do you know how old you are?"

"Very good question."

"How old are you?" Mickey suddenly wondered out loud.

"Another good question. You're on a roll, Mickey. Go and find Rose, but don't tell her what we're doing."

As Mickey left, the Doctor dialled Jackie's number. "Morning, Jackie, how's the weather?"

"It raining. Doctor, what's wrong, has something happened?"

"Nope, everything's fine. It's Rose's birthday tomorrow, I'm going to bring her home for the day. If that's alright?"

"If it's alright? Of course it's alright. What time will you be here?"

"Erm, let me see," he studied the console, ran round to the other side, turned two dials, pushed a button, ran back to the phone. "I'm aiming for around 5pm. But don't worry if it gets to be later. I'm having a few technical difficulties."

"I wish you hadn't told me that."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Where and when are we?" Rose asked as the TARDIS materialised.

"London, England, 30th July 1966," The Doctor declared, using the ruse Mickey had dreamt up in the hope, the Doctor thought, that he'd take Mickey there next.

Rose looked unimpressed, they were back on Earth again. "What happened then?"

"What happened?" Mickey mocked. "This is the greatest day in English footballing history. This is day dreams came true. This is the day England won the World Cup."

"Ah, this is a little treat for Mickey then," Rose said as she opened the TARDIS door. "This estate hasn't changed much in 40 years," she told them.

"Oh," The Doctor frowned as he looked at the tower blocks of the Powell Estate. "These were here in 1966 weren't they?"

Rose looked around. "If they were, I doubt they had satellite dishes or a police helicopter."

"Ah, slight miscalculation, Mickey mate. This might not be 1966. Actually I'm not even sure it's even July. But on the plus side, it is London."

"You're joking," Mickey complained, his disappointment so real that the Doctor knew he'd been right about where Mickey hoped they would go next.

"Nope, 'fraid not," The Doctor replied cheerfully. "May as well go and see Jackie then."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jackie had heard the TARDIS arriving, right on time for once. She looked over the balcony, saw the threesome strolling across the car park towards the entrance to the flats and she dashed back inside. "Everyone, she's on her way," she told the assembled family and friends.

"Is he with her?" Beth asked. "You know, her Doctor?"

"Yes and so's Mickey. Now everyone in the living room and be quiet."

Out on the stairs, Mickey was complaining that the lifts were broken again, Rose was saying that she wouldn't use them anyway and the Doctor was wondering whether him coming with them was a good idea.

"Mum, I'm home." Rose called as she let herself into the flat. "I've got Mickey and the Doctor with me. You have to be nice to Mickey, he thought he was going somewhere else, bless him. Mum, are you here?"

Mickey and The Doctor held back as Rose entered the living room. "SURPRISE!" everyone shouted.

"Happy birthday, darling," Jackie grinned as she hugged her daughter.

"Birthday?" Rose asked.

"I might have lied about the date," the Doctor whispered to her.

Rose turned to her two traveling companions. "You two planned this? There was no football match?" When they both nodded, Rose threw her arms firstly around the Doctor and then around Mickey. "Thank you."

"Happy birthday," The Doctor said as he carefully watched all the curious faces. "I might go and leave you lot to it."

"Oh no you don't," Jackie told him, grabbing his arm and pulling him into the empty kitchen. "Right, your cover story."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, "I have a cover story?"

"Yes. I could hardly tell people the truth could I?"

"No? Umm, 'spose not. So what's my cover story? Do I have a name? Are there plots, sub-plots?"

"You're a travel guide, you and Rose and sometimes Mickey check out new holiday destinations for the travel industry."

"A travel guide? I suppose that's sort of true."

"My mother always told me to keep lies simple or you'll trip up. I didn't give you a name, strangely no one questioned the Doctor."

"No one does," he agreed. "Can I join the party now?"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"This is great, I love parties," Rose told the Doctor. "Hey, did you bring a banana?" she teased and saw a sudden sadness flash into his eyes. "You okay?" she asked and he nodded. She wasn't convinced though. "What happened with you and Madame De Pompadour?"

"Nothing," the Doctor assured her, the easy going, vaguely amused mask returning to his face. "But unfortunately I did forget the banana."

"Did you see what Mickey bought me?" Rose followed his lead and changed the subject from their recent adventure.

"I did, it's nice. Not too sure what use you'll have for a watch in a time machine," he joked, "but it is nice. I would have bought you something but I, well to be honest I forgot Humans do that."

"Doesn't matter, you brought me here, what could be better?"

"You might not want to tell Mickey that. Or you mum for that matter, your Aunt... thingy tells me the MP3 player was very expensive."

"Dance with me," Rose suddenly said and took his hand.

"Not this again. I can't dance."

"That's never stopped them," Rose laughed as she watched her mother and two aunts.

"Dance with Mickey. He gave up the 1966 World Cup final, which was a very good game I might add, to give you this party."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As the party moved into its third hour, the Doctor stood quietly and unobtrusively in a corner of the living room, occasionally glancing out of the window down to the car park below. Even though this new more relaxed him was happy to mix with Rose's mum and with Mickey and was even quite enjoying the party, part of him wanted to be back in the TARDIS, checking her systems and heading off somewhere new and unexplored.

Seeing Rose and Mickey enjoying themselves, surrounded by friends and family, made him feel homesick and lonely and, if he was honest, a little jealous. 'Okay,' he thought, 'self pity is not an attractive trait in a Time Lord. Definitely time to leave.' He knew Rose would object or worse, insist on coming with him, so when he saw Jackie going into the kitchen he followed her. "Will you tell her I'll meet her back at the TARDIS."

"You're going? I hoped she might stay the night."

"She can," he tried to sound happy at the idea. "But I've got systems to check and things," he trailed off lamely.

"Don't enjoy teenage parties?" Jackie asked.

"Long time since I was a teenager," the Doctor agreed.

"Me too, although possibly not as long as you. Thanks for bringing her back. This lot'll be gone in an hour or so, come back then and have some supper."

"No, let her go out with her friends. I'll come by in the morning."

With that the Doctor left. He walked down the stairs, across the car park, past the garages and let himself into the TARDIS. Twenty minutes later, he was sitting quietly looking at the monitor, so absorbed in what he was doing that he didn't notice the door open, didn't even know Rose was there until she spoke.

"Is that where we're going next?"

He spun quickly away from the monitor. "Hello, I thought you were partying?"

"Just came to check on you. Is that where we're going?"

He looked back at the picture on the screen. "No, we can't. Your mum wants you to stay the night."

"I know. Why can't we?"

"You can, I don't mind. You should go out with your friends."

"Why can't we go there?" Rose pointed at the monitor.

"It's gone. And we can't go before it went because... we just can't."

Suddenly Rose knew where the orange planet on the monitor was. "Gallifrey?" she asked.

"Yes. Go back to your party."

"Are you alright?"

The Doctor nodded. "I'm fine. Honestly."

"Are we leaving?" Mickey asked as he joined them.

"No," the Doctor replied. "I came back to do some work. You two get back to your friends."

"We can help you," Rose offered.

"Really?" the Doctor asked with a sudden grin.

"Come on," Mickey told her, sensing the Doctor just wanted to be alone for a while. "We'd be in the way. What do we know about fixing a time machine? Let's go into town with the others."

Rose nodded, "You sure you don't want to come?" she asked the Doctor. "We're going for pizza and then to the pub. Might go clubbing after."

"No," The Doctor assured her. "Go and enjoy yourselves. I'll see you in the morning. Your mum's promised me a fry up."

"You might want to give that a miss," Rose laughed. "Okay, just don't leave without us."

"Have fun," The Doctor called after them as they left. He turned back to the screen, sighed and changed the image back to the TARDIS diagnostics program. 'They're young, you were young once, a long, long time ago,' he told himself, 'and that's one time you can never go back to.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, the Doctor awoke to find his mood had improved and he was feeling much more like himself. He showered, dressed, made one last system check and then went off to find his travelling companions. When he let himself into the flat, the only sign of life was the sound of Mickey snoring on the sofa, there was no sign of Rose or Jackie. The Doctor shook his head and sighed, he went into the kitchen, switched the kettle on and hunted around for coffee or tea and some mugs.

"Very domesticated," Jackie commented from the kitchen doorway.

"Oh, hello, thought everyone was still asleep."

"Those two are, I went to the shop, we were out of milk. Do you know they didn't get in 'til gone 4. I don't know where these youngsters get their stamina. Coffee? Tea?"

"Tea please. She had a good time then?"

"Haven't seen her, but knowing her, I'd say so. You didn't go with them then? She hoped you would."

"No, had things to do. Anyway, she should spend time people her own age occasionally, does her good."

Jackie handed the Doctor a mug of tea. "Have you eaten?"

"Shouldn't we wait for them?"

"Oh I think the smell of frying bacon will wake them one way or another."

"It's the other I'm worried about," the Doctor smiled.

"So where you off to next?" Jackie asked as she fried bacon, eggs and bread for them.

"Don't know, I think Mickey'd like to watch the 1966 World Cup final, so we might stay in London."

"That'll be nice for him. Football mad that one, always has been. What about you, what are your hobbies?"

"Hobbies? I don't know, I like to read, Humans have some great authors, possibly the best in the universe, and music. You'd think I'd have developed more hobbies in nine hundred years, wouldn't you?"

Jackie turned to stare at him. "Nine hundred years? That's how old you are?"

"Well, a little over - I round it off," he shrugged.

Jackie turned the hob off and put the bacon, eggs and fried bread on two plates. "You want sauce?"

"Do you have any of that brown stuff? Goes great with bacon."

"In the cupboard behind you. So why do you spend so much time on Earth?"

The Doctor sat back down and shrugged. "Dunno, just have a soft spot for the place I suppose."

"What's your planet called?" she asked and then laughed. "This is definitely the strangest conversation I've had with one of Rose's friends. I mean they all talk about things I don't understand, you try and keep up with what teenagers are into, still some of the stuff... but you..."

"I'm the first alien she's bought home?" The Doctor suggested.

"Some of them have looked liked aliens. Actually you're more human looking than a lot of them," Jackie laughed. Her feelings for her daughter's strange friend had changed in the time she'd known him. At first she'd loathed him, then there'd come a grudging acceptance. At Christmas though, sitting with him while he was ill and after, eating Christmas dinner and opening presents, she'd developed a soft spot for him. Not that she'd ever be happy to have Rose travelling to God knows where, but he'd definitely grown on her.

"Could you two not do that," Rose complained as she walked into the kitchen.

"What?" Jackie asked.

"Talk, eat food that smells, breathe loudly. Morning, Doctor." Rose sat down across from him. "I don't know what I was drinking last night."

"I'm guessing it wasn't orange juice," The Doctor said. "Bacon?" he offered her the plate.

"Oh God! Water, just a glass of water."

"And aspirin?" Jackie offered.

"Umm," Rose nodded. "Where's Mickey?"

"Sofa," the Doctor said. "You want to stay here today? I can come back for you when you're feeling better."

"That's sweet, but I'll be okay."

"It's not sweet, I just don't want you throwing up in console room. Honestly, I'm not doing anything you'll mind missing."

"I'm not going to throw up. Where are you going?"

"30th July 1966."

Mickey entered the kitchen as the Doctor was speaking. "Seriously!" he asked. "Wembley?"

"You want to?"

"Do I want to watch England win the World Cup? Yeah," Mickey was beaming, all traces of a hang over forgotten.

"Football?" Rose moaned. "You two have fun. But I want you back here in time for dinner."

"I'm going to watch the '66 Cup final. Oh my God!"

"It won't be as exciting when you know who wins," Jackie pointed out.

"'Course it will," Mickey said.

END


End file.
